Ondo 2020: Unease in ZLP as Obasanjo meets Mimiko
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors are not leaving anything to chance in their quest to forge alliance with the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) ahead of next Saturday Ondo governorship election.
It was gathered the PDP governors reached out to former President Olusegun Obasanjo to talk to leader of the ZLP, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko to support Eyitayo Jegede, the governorship candidate.
Sources in the PDP said Obasanjo met with Mimiko in Abuja but details of the meeting were still kept in the wraps.
The sources said Mimiko also met with a PDP northern governor at the weekend.
After the meeting in Abuja, Mimiko flew to Akure to campaign for the ZLP at Ile-Oluji, Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo local government.
Another source said last week’s Federal High Court judgement that ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish personal particulars of Agboola Ajayi might be why Mimiko is going into talks with the PDP.
A former spokesman of Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation, Segun Sowunmi, has also told journalists in Akure, that PDP was not foreclosing talk with Mimiko
He said Mimiko remained a key factor in ensuring the collapse of the ZLP structures into PDP and support Jegede.
Some chieftains of the ZLP were also said to have vowed not to follow Mimiko if he opts to dump the party for the PDP.
The chieftains, who pleaded anonymity, said: “There is no longer trust among the ZLP party leaders.
“Honestly, there is palpable fear in the party at the moment. We are scared that Mimiko may dump Ajayi at the eleventh hours.
“If you have been following the political journey of Mimiko, this should not be a surprise to you. He did this to his former boss, former Adebayo Adefarati (late).
“In 2003, when Baba was seeking his re-election, he was with him in the morning pledging his loyalty but dumped the late governor in the afternoon to join late Olusegun Agagu’s camp.
‘”In 2018, Mimiko declared his intention to contest 2019 Presidential election under ZLP and having realised that his ambition won’t fly, he asked one of his core loyalists, Engr. Gboye Adegbenro, who was already seeking the senate seat under the ZLP to step down for him.
“Due to this antecedent of Mimiko, he cannot be trusted. He is full of wonders. Don’t be surprised he may even align with an estranged friend, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN if he considers his interest will be protected in the APC family.
“Our fresh fears are real and frightening indeed; when we saw that report about the meeting the PDP governors were to hold with him, he complained to someone that it had been leaked to the press and that he would be in Abuja.
“For us, we are set for anything that will stop Akeredolu, but if as a leader you are negotiating or holding talks without the candidate there, there will be apprehensions and this is real; we are scared simply because since he returned from Abuja, he didn’t say anything about the meeting,” he said.
But Ajayi described the planned collapse of ZLP structure as rumour sponsored by the drowning PDP.
Ajayi urged Jegede to be bold and honest to confess to the general public his campaign was not flying.
He called on the purveyors of fake alliance to discontinue using his name to curry favour from the electorates.
Ajayi, who spoke through his media Adviser, Sowore Allen, said he has never worked with Jegede and would not under any circumstance work with him towards the October 10 governorship election.
The Nation
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